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Chiropractic is the largest form of alternative health care in the nation and focuses on the spine and nervous system. It is the third largest health care discipline after medicine and dentistry. Chiropractic focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Doctors of Chiropractic practice a hands-on approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. Chiropractic Doctors are specifically trained in the detection and correction of spinal/musculoskeletal conditions. Chiropractic is a non-surgical, drug-less approach to health. Treatments are gentle, effective and specifically tailored to each individual's problem. A Chiropractic Screening Exam can help determine if your condition is a Chiropractic problem, a medical problem, or both.
Recent Research on Chiropractic
Research on Chiropractic is constantly growing and evolving. We have chosenh some of the interesting and informative research to share with you. If you would like to know more about this research please e-mail or call us and we will be glad to get that information out to you.
RAND Study on Low-Back Pain
A four-phase study conducted in the early 1990s by RAND, one of America's most prestigious centers for research in public policy, science and technology, explored many indications of low-back pain. In the RAND studies, an expert panel of researchers, including medical doctors and doctors of chiropractic, found that:
- Chiropractors deliver a substantial amount of health care to the U.S. population
- Spinal manipulation is of benefit to some patients with acute low-back pain
The RAND reports marked the first time that representatives of the medical community went on record stating that spinal manipulation is an appropriate treatment for certain low-back pain conditions.
The Manga Report
A major study to assess the most appropriate use of available health care resources was reported in 1993. This was an outcomes study funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and conducted in hopes of sharing information about ways to reduce the incidence of work related injuries and to address cost-effective ways to rehabilitate disabled and injured workers. Three health economists led by University of Ottawa Professor Pran Manga, Ph.D, conducted the study. The 216-page report of the study is commonly called the Manga Report.
The Manga Report overwhelmingly supported the efficacy, safety, scientific validity, and cost-effectiveness of chiropractic for low-back pain. Additionally, it found that higher patient satisfaction levels were associated with chiropractic care than with medical treatment alternatives. "Evidence from Canada and other countries suggests potential savings of hundreds of millions annually," the Manga Report states. "The literature clearly and consistently shows that the major savings from chiropractic management come from fewer and lower costs of auxiliary services, fewer hospitalizations, and a highly significant reduction in chronic problems, as well as in levels and duration of disability."
The New Zealand Commission Report
The New Zealand Commission of Inquiry conducted a particularly significant study of chiropractic between 1978-1980. In its 377-page report to the House of Representatives, the Commission called its study "probably the most comprehensive and detailed independent examination of chiropractic ever undertaken in any country." The Commission entered the inquiry with "the general impression... shared by many in the community: that chiropractic was an unscientific cult, not to be compared with orthodox medical or paramedical services." By the end of the inquiry, the commission reported itself "irresistibly and with complete unanimity drawn to the conclusion that modern chiropractic is a soundly-based and valuable branch of health care in a specialized area...". Conclusions of the Commission's report, based on investigations in New Zealand, the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, stated:
- Spinal manual therapy in the hands of a registered chiropractor is safe
- Spinal manual therapy can be effective in relieving musculo-skeletal symptoms such as back pain, and other symptoms known to respond to such therapy, such as migraine
- Chiropractors are the only health practitioners who are necessarily equipped by their education and training to carry out spinal manual therapy
- In the public interest and in the interests of patients, there must be no impediment to full professional cooperation between chiropractors and medical practitioners
Patient Disability Comparison
A 1992 article in the Journal of Family Practice reported a study by D.C. Cherkin, Ph.D., which compared patients of family physicians and of chiropractors. The article stated "the number of days of disability for patients seen by family physicians was significantly higher (mean 39.7) than for patients managed by chiropractors (mean 10.8)." A related editorial in the same issue referred to risks of complications from lumbar manipulation as being "very low."
Stano Cost Comparison Study
A study by Miron Stano, Ph.D., reported in the June 1993 Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics involved 395,641 patients with neuro-musculos-keletal conditions. Results over a two-year period showed that patients who received chiropractic care incurred significantly lower health care costs than did patients treated solely by medical or osteopathic physcians.
1990 British Medical Journal Report
A study conducted by T.W. Meade, a medical doctor, and reported in the June 2, 1990, British Medical Journal concluded after two years of patient monitoring, "for patients with low-back pain, in whom manipulation is not contraindicated, chiropractic almost certainly confers worthwhile, long-term benefit in comparison with hospital outpatient management." |